NANCE HAXTON: Queensland Police say they are determined to find who is responsible for killing the 55 dogs found in a mass grave in a public reserve near a racing track in Bundaberg.

The grave was surrounded by spent bullet casings.

Police and the RSPCA are now involved in the joint investigation, using the special taskforce set up after the live-baiting scandal.

RSPCA chief inspector Daniel Young says inspectors were shaken by the discovery.

DANIEL YOUNG: This is obviously quite horrific in its own right but it's a bit difficult to compare it to other ones but we have come across similar situations in the past but probably not to this magnitude.

NANCE HAXTON: The carcasses were in varying states of decomposition, so police think it may have been a dumping ground for some time.

Detective superintendent Mark Ainsworth says the area near Coonarr has been declared a crime scene.

MARK AINSWORTH: Anyone in the public that knows that area, if they've ever seen any greyhounds, trailers, greyhound trailers, utilities, or that transport greyhounds, to come forward. The area of Coonarr beach there, which is in very close proximity to where these carcasses were located, is known for greyhound trainers to exercise their dogs on the beach. So we believe there is quite a bit of activity in the vicinity of greyhounds.

JOANA FULLER: I think that it's unlikely that's an isolated incident when we know that 18,000 dogs are destroyed annually, and those are the records that are held by veterinarians, and obviously disposing of the dogs illegally is cheaper.

The industry should be shutdown and that is immediately. Not a phase out but immediately because the cruelty that was uncovered by the Four Corners expose is clearly entrenched. We know it's been going for some time.

There've been commissions of inquiry in New South Wales where evidence was given of live bating. That didn't have any effect, clearly, upon the industry preventing the practise or shutting it down. And we have said and say again we simply cannot better regulate animal cruelty.

NANCE HAXTON: Racing Queensland met with Animals Australia in Melbourne this afternoon for a pre-arranged meeting about re-homing options for greyhounds.

Animals Australia said in a statement that after spending two hours with industry representatives they are confident that they will undertake major reforms.

Racing Queensland CEO Darren Condon says the industry is horrified by the discovery of the grave.

DARREN CONDON: It's obviously horrific what we've found and what's come out from the police and RSPCA investigations. I don't think there is any other way to describe it than horrific. But we're obviously working with the Queensland Police Force and RSPCA and we'll wait for a full report from the Queensland Police and once we have that report we'll take the appropriate action so any individuals involved in what's come out from yesterday.

NANCE HAXTON: He says it's time to consider whether greyhound racing should be shut down.

DARREN CONDON: Look, I think there's a - any option is on the table for consideration at the moment until these things are removed from the industry. An industry cannot operate, be it greyhound or any other industry, with these sort of behaviours going on.

I think the industry needs to come forward, needs to start putting these people in, it needs to be accountable for itself and the participants. If they want to cleanse the industry of this scourge that exists, must come forward, must start naming names and must start assisting us, the Queensland Police and the RSPCA in removing these people from the industry as soon as is possible.

NANCE HAXTON: Greyhounds Australasia was contacted by PM, but refused to comment.

A special taskforce was established by Queensland Police after a Four Corners investigation revealed extensive live-baiting in the industry.

That taskforce has so far made eight arrests in relation to serious animal cruelty offences under the criminal code, and 36 Queensland trainers have been suspended, six possibly for life.

The Queensland Government is undertaking an independent review of the industry to find out how these illegal practices went undetected for so long.

Queensland Police Minister Jo-Ann Miller says they are determined to find who is responsible for what she described as "mass murder".

JO-ANN MILLER: We have to make sure that the perpetrators of this crime of animal cruelty are dealt with, they are caught and the police and the justice system can deal with them.